My dad, Jim, has run 12 marathons. I'm running my 1st for him.

When I came home to live with my parents in 2020 for the pandemic, my dad asked if I wanted to run with him. There was nothing else to do but be outside. So I said yes.

The last time we’d run together had been 15 years prior, when he, a lifelong marathoner, signed me up for a Girls on the Run 5K. I half ran, half walked with him by my side until the very end … when I zoomed ahead so that I could say I beat him.

In the three pandemic months I lived at home, we clocked nearly 300 miles together. With that came countless hours of uninterrupted quality time together -- each day as we ran, we chatted about everything and nothing, from favorite books to childhood memories. 

I’d never been a runner; suddenly, I couldn’t stop. We weren’t going fast. But we were going far. I went from someone who couldn’t do 2 miles without stopping to catch my breath, to someone who could run an 8 mile river loop on a whim after eating a big brunch. I knew I didn’t have the mental willpower – or the patience – to have gotten there alone.

That same year, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which has since impacted his ability to run. We'd always talked about doing my first marathon together … but running in honor of my dad, while raising money to support the Parkinson's Foundation, is the next best thing.

The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people living with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. Studies show that 2.5 hours of weekly exercise along with medication, can significantly improve quality of life for people living with Parkinson's. I'm hopeful that in the coming years, research will have advanced enough that next time I run a marathon, my dad can be right there, running with me.

I hope you'll join me in supporting a cause that matters so much!